A tools and technology for selecting slurry pumps

In the past, slurry pump selection for heavy-duty service usually focused on low velocities inside large, slow-running pumps aimed at reasonable wear above all else. The cost of power and the competitive nature of the marketplace in recent years have brought pressure for lower initial and operating cost at the expense of higher, or less certain, operating wear life. Until recently, estimating slurry pump wear life for a given set of operating conditions was an uncertain process. Technology now exists, however, to calculate the wear life of a slurry pump in service and this can be combined with the other operating costs to determine the total cost of ownership. This paper describes the factors involved in the selection of a slurry pump, how the cost components, i.e., capital, electrical, wear and operating, can be calculated, and how these fit into the total cost of ownership.